Holder for articles such as pens and pencils



Jam 1943- o. A; JOHNSON 2,307,511

HOLDER FOR ARTICLES SUCH AS PENS AND PENCILS Filed July 17, 1942 INVENTOR OLA/ 14. JOHNSON ATTORNEY accessible for use;

Patented Jan. 5, 1943 STATES TENT QFFECE HOLDER FOR, ARTICLES SUCH AS PEN S AND PENCILS Olaf AJJohnson, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor of one-third to Joseph P; OBrien and one-third to A. Janda, both of Wahpeton, N. Dak.

cles such as pens and pencils, and has more particular relation to a so-called pen holder.

An object of the invention is to provide a holder for articles which will be of novel and improved .r construction.

A further object is to provide a holder for articles such as pens and pencils wherein will be incorporated various improved features and characteristics of construction which will benovel both as individual entities'of the holder and in combination with each other.

A further object is to provide a holder for an article such as a pen or pencil which will include a case adapted to house the article, a holder or 5 carried by said case and removably supporting 525 the article, and novel and improved mechanism adapted to be actuated selectively to cause said article to be housed by said case beneath its cover or to be accessible at position outside of said case.

And a further object is to provide a holder for articles such as pens and pencils which will include features and characteristics as hereinafter set forth.

With the above objects in view, as well as others which will appear as the specification proceeds, the invention comprises the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as now to be fully described and as hereinafter to be specifically claimed, it being understood that the disclosure herein is merely illustrative and in tended in no way in a limiting sense, changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts being permissible so long as within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims which follow.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification:

Fig. '1 is a top plan view of a holder for articles such as pens and'pencils made according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the holder of Fig. 1 disclosing, in dotted lines, a pen as when housed by said holder, and, in full lines, as when Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of the holder of Figs. 1 and 2, with the lower wall of the case of said holder removed;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

'With respect to the drawing and the numerals of reference thereon, a rectangular case of the holderis denoted at lllp As disclosed the case Ill consists of an upper wall H, a lower wall [2, opposite side walls l3, l3 and opposite end'walls l4, l4. The upper and lower walls H and [2am parallel and are spaced apart a distance considerably less than a measurement representing the distance apart of the opposite side walls [3, l3. The opposite end walls I l, M are spaced apart a distance greater than the measurement representing the distance between the opposite side walls I3, I3. As shown, the opposite side walls l3, [3 are parallel, as are also the opposite end walls l4, [4. The upper, lower, side and end walls of said case H! are spaced apart to provide a compartment l5 within the case of sufficient size or capacity to nicely house an'article, such, for example, as a pen Hi, to be enclosed in said case.

The upper wall I l of the case I0 is provided with a rectangular opening or slot I1, extending generally longitudinally, but obliquely, of said upper wall I l, of length greater than that of the article or pen l6 and of width to. permit free passage of said article or pen through said rectangular opening or slot.

Desirably, the lower or outer surface of the lower wall l2 of said case l9 may be provided with pieces of felt 18 adapted to rest upon a supporting surface, such as a desk, for the case, preferably to cause the upper and lower walls I I and I2 of said case to be disposed horizontally.

A cover for the rectangular opening or slot 11 through the upper wall ll of the case Ill is designated at l9, and a hinge or pivotal support for said cover !9 is represented at 29. More explicitly, an ear 2i, rigid with the inner surface of the upper wall 5 l and situated at a side of the rectangular opening or slot ll, fixedly supports a pin 22 disposed parallelly of said rectangular opening or slot. A'b-racket member 23 includes .an end portion 26 thereof rigid with the inner or under surface of the cover l9, an intermediate curved portion 25 thereof which extends from said end portion 24 and passes freely through the.

rectangular opening or slot l! into the compartment I5 of the case l0, an annular portion 26 thereof mounted upon said pin 22, a straight connecting portion 21 thereof between said annular portion and the end of the intermediate curved portion 25 spaced from said end portion 24, and a straight end portion 28 thereof at a side of the annular portion 26 spaced from the straight connecting portion 21. The straight connecting portion 21, the straight end portion 28 and the annular portion 26 of the bracket member 23 constitute the inner end portion of said bracket member mounted upon the pin 22 so that said straight connecting portion is substantially perpendicular to the upper wall H of the case i and extends downwardly therefrom, and so that the straight end portion 28 is substantially parallel with and in spaced relation to said upper wall The portions 27 and 28 of the bracket member 23 are as shown at right-angle relation to each other.

The cover i3 is adapted normally to rest, by reasonof its weight, or gravity, upon the .upper surface of the upper wall H. of'the case H3, in closing relationto the rectangular opening or slot I1, and devices are provided through the instrumentality of which said cover can be swung to open and closed positions to allow passage of the article or pen l6 through said rectangular opening or slot ll. Of said mentioned devices,

29. is a lever, within the compartment l5, having amintermediate portion thereof pivoted at 30 upon the upper wall I! of the case In and an end portion 3l'thereof situated adjacent and between the portions 2'! and 28 of the bracket member 23 for selective engagement with each of these mentioned portions. An end portion 32 of the lever 29 opposite the end portion 3| includes an arcuate slot 33 disposed generally longitudinallyof said lever 29. A shaft 34, withinxt'hecompartment l and disposed perpendicularly of the lever 29 and the rectangular opening or slot ll, adjacent an end of said opening or slot, isrotatably mounted in spaced apart supporting brackets 35,- 35 upon the inner surface of the upper wall of the case lil. Said shaft 34 includes a crank 36 disposed at angular relation to theshaft and situated in the arcuate slot 33. The construction and arrangement are such that when the crank 36 is at either end of the arcuate slot 33, the cover will be in closed position by reason of its weight, or gravity, and also such that movement of said crank from either end of said arcuate slot to the midlength thereof will cause the cover I!) to be forced or thrown to open position, by reason of engagement of the end portion 3| with the portion 21 of the bracket member 23, and that movement of the crank from the midlength of the arcuate slot to either end thereof will cause said cover l9 to become closed, by reason of engagement of said end portion 3| with the portion 28 of said bracket member 23.

A holder proper or stand for the article or pen I6 is represented at 31. As shown, said holder proper or stand includes a tubular portion 38 thereof into which the article or pen is removably, frictionally fitted, and a retaining portion '39 thereof rotatably supported upon the shaft 34 and movable in a rectangular slot 49 in the upper wall ll of the case H]. An actuator 4| for the holder proper or stand 31 is fixed upon the shaft 34, and the retaining portion 33 of said holder proper or stand is situated between said actuator 4| and the adjacent supporting bracket 35, thus to be held against movement longitudinally of said shaft 34. That is, the holder proper or stand 31, while rotatable upon the shaft 34, is fixed against movement therealong. The actuator 4| includes an annular surface 42 at the lower side thereof concentric with the shaft 34, and a radial shoulder or stop, denoted 43 and 5 44, respectively, at each end of said annular surface. An actuating pin 45 upon a side surface of the retaining portion 39 of the holder proper or stand 31, at the side of the shaft 34 opposite the tubular portion 38 is adapted to travel adjacent said annular surface 42 and to come into engagement with one or the other of the shoulders or stops 43 or 44, as'the case may be, with rotation of said shaft 34 and the actuator 4| fixed thereon. That is, the construction and arrangement are suchthat the shaft 34 can have free turning movementrelative to the holder proper or stand 31 while the actuating pin 45 lies between the shoulders or'stops 43 and 44, and that movement of rotation of said shaft can be imparted to said holder proper or stand through the instrumentality .of engagement between said actuating pin and a shoulder or stop 43 or 44 of the actuator 4 I, as will be understood.

The shaft 34 fixedly carries a. gear-46,1 and a rack 41 which meshes with .said gear 46 is mounted, as at 48, to be slidable in an .opening through the upper wall H of thecase l0. Also, said shaft 34 fixedly carries a gear 49, and a rack 50- which meshes with said gear 49 is mounted, as at 5|, to be slidable in a diiferent opening through said upper wall The .racks' 41 and 54 as disclosed are perpendicular tothe upper and lower walls of the caseand are movable. in direction toward and away-from the lower-wall of said case, longitudinally of said racks. .Enlarged headsof theracks 4! and (53, aboveand .in' :spaced relation to theupp'er :wall ofthe case. arev designated 52 and53, respectively. ...As will be apparent from Fig. 3 of 'theidrawing'the 40 racks 41 and 53 are disposed at. opposite sides .M of the shaft 34. That is, the rack 41 engages ithe gear 46 at the left side of the shaft 34 and the rack engages the gear 49 at the right side of said shaft in said Fig. 3.

Supposingthe article or pen IE to be enclosed by the-case i0 and the cover l9'to be iniclosed position, as in Figs. 1 and.3,'said article or pen will be moved to accessible position, outside of the case, as in Fig. 2, in response to depression 50 of the rack 50 caused by pushing downwardly upon the enlarged head .53. With downward pushing of said rack 53, the gear 49 will be caused to rotate in direction to cause the crank 35 to be moved from its position as in Fig. 3 to 55 the opposite end of the arcuate'slot 33. During the movement of the crank36 from its position as in said Fig. 3 to the midlength of the arcuate slot 33, the cover |9 will be moved to open position, by reason of engagement of the end portion 3| of the lever 29 with the portion 2! of the bracket member -25:2, and during the movement of said crank 36 from the midlength of said arcuate slot to the end of the slot opposite the end at which the crank is shown in'Fig. 3, said cover i9 will be caused to move to'closed position, by reason of engagement of said endportion 3| of said lever 29 with the portion 28 of said bracket member 23. That is, with movement of the crank 36 from the midlength to either end of the arcuate slot 33 the lever end portion 3| will engage the portion 230f the bracketmember 23 to cause the cover 59 to be overbalanced toward closing 'direction'so that gravity will cause said cover member-to move to closed position over the rectangular opening or slot l1, and with movement of said crank 36 from either end to the midlength of said arcuate slot said lever end portion 3| will engage the portion 2? of said bracket member 23 to cause said cover !9 to be open. In Fig. l, the shoulder or stop &4 is disclosed as adjacent the actuating pin 45, and this may be the arrangement when the holder proper or stand is in the case, as in Figs. 1 and 3. Upon depression of the rack 50, the actuator il'will, evidently, be rotated in direction to cause said shoulder or stop M to be moved away from said actuating pin it and the shoulder or stop 43 to be moved toward and against said pin. The construction and arrangement are such that, with depression of the rack 59, the shoulder or stop 43 will engage the actuating pin 45 at the interval when the crank 38 is approaching the midlength of the arcuate slot 33 to cause the cover It to be wide open. Obviously, the holder proper or stand will remain stationary within the case 10 until said shoulder or stop 4-3 becomes engaged against said actuating pin 45. Upon further depression of the rack 50, after the shoulder or stop 43 has engaged the actuating pin 45, said holder or stand will be rotated from the position as-in Fig. 3 to the position as in Fig. 2. The construction and arrangement are such that the article or pen Iii will. be swung upwardly past the rectangular opening or slot ll, while the cover I9 is in open position, when said crank 36 is approaching the midlength of said arcuate slot 33 from the end in which shown in said Fig. 3 and is receding from said midlength of the slot toward the end thereof opposite that at which the crank is shown in Fig. 3, and that said coverlfi will be caused to move to closed position, back of the article or pen, as soon as said article or pen has moved to position clear of said cover. Stated differently, the article or pen is adapted to be moved to its accessible position, outside of the case Hi, while the cover 19 is clear of the rectangular opening or slot I1, and said cover is adapted to be moved to closed condition after said article or pen has been lifted out of said case. Clearly, the article or pen will remain at position to which moved outside of the case, by reason of the engagement between the gear 49 and the rack 59 and between the shoulder or stop 43 and the actuating pin 45. Supposing the article or pen to be outside of the case and the cover It] to be in closed position, as in Fig. 2, said article or pen .will be moved to position where enclosed by said case, as in Figs. 1 and 3, in response to depression of the rack 4'! caused by pushing downwardly upon the enlarged head 52. With downward pushing of said rack 4'3, the gear 46 will be caused to rotate in direction to cause the crank 36 to be moved from the end of the arcuate slot 33 opposite that in which shown in Fig.3 to the end in which said crank is shown in said Fig. 3. During such movement of the crank the cover I9 will be moved to open position and then to closed position, in the manner as before set forth, and the shoulder or stop 43 will be moved in direction away from and the shoulder or stop M will approach the actuating pin 25. The holder proper or stand 3'! when in accessible position is at somewhat spaced relation to the adjacent end of the cover i9, overbalanced against the end wall 54 of the slot 30, as in Fig. 2. Said end wall 54 serves as a stop for said holder proper or stand. When the holder proper or stand drops against the end wall the actuating pin 45 becomes slightly spaced'from the shoulder or stop 43, as will be evident. With movement of the rack 4'! downwardly, the shoulder or stop 44 picks up the pin 45 to commence actuation of the holder or stand at the interval when the crank 36 is approaching the midlength of the arcuate slot 33, and said holder or stand is released to gravity while said crank is at and. receding from the midlength of said arcuate slot, so that the article or pen is allowed to drop downwardly past the rectangular opening or slot i? while the cover I9 is in open position. That is, the article or pen is deposited into the case during the interval the crank 36 is approachingv the midlength of the arcuate slot 33 and is receding from the midlength of said slot, toward the position as in Fig. 3. Evidently, the cover 19 will be caused to move to closed position, over the article or pen, as soon as said article or pen has moved to position within the case clear of said cover. Stated difierently, the article or pen is adapted to be moved to its enclosed position within the case while the cover is clear of the rectangular opening or slot H, and said cover is adapted to be moved to closed condition after said article or pen has been deposited within said case. Evidently, the rack 59 is caused to be elevated when the rack 41 is depressed, and vice versa.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article, a stand for removably supporting the article upon the case, and. means for causing said stand to be actuated selectively to situate said article within said com partment and at accessible position outside of said case.

2. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case adapted to house said article, a holder proper for the article carried by said case and removably supporting said article, and means through the instrumentality of which said article selectively can be either enclosed by said case or accessible for use.

3. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case for housing said article, a cover for said case, a stand for the article carried by the case and removably supporting said article, and means adapted to be actuated selectively to cause said article to be either housed by the case beneath said cover or' accessible at position outside of said case.

4. A holder for. an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a (impartment for housing said article, a holder proper for removably supporting the article upon said case, means for causing said holder proper to be situated to position said article within said compartment. and means for causing the holder proper to be situated to position the article at location outside of said case.

5. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article, a cover tor said compartment, a holder proper for removably supporting the article upon said case, and means for causing said holder proper to be actuated selectively to cause said article to be housed within said compartment beneath said cover and at accessible position outside of said'case.

6. A holder for an article such as a pen or" pencil, comprising a case including a compart ment .for housing said article, a 'cover for said compartment, a holder proper for removably supporting the article upon said case, means adapted to be actuated to cause said holder proper to be situated to position said article within said compartment beneath said cover, and means adapted to be actuated to cause the holder proper to be situated to position the article at location above said case.

7. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case adapted to house said article, a holder proper for the article carried by said case and removably supporting said article, means for actuating said holder proper to position causing said article to be enclosed by said case, and means for actuating the holder proper to position causing the article to be accessible outside of said case.

8. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case for housing said article, a cover for said case, a stand for the article carried by the case and removably supporting said article, means for actuating said stand to position causing said article to be enclosed by said case beneath said cover, and means for actuating the stand to position causing the article to be accessible outside of said case.

9. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case for housing said article,

a cover for said case, a stand for the article carried by the case and removably supporting said article, and mechanism adapted to be actuated selectively to cause said article to be either housed by the case beneath said cover or accessible at location outside of said case, said mechanism including means for causing said cover normally to be in closed position upon the case and to be removed from said case concurrently with removal of the article from and deposit of said article within the case.

10. A-holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case for housing said ar- Licle, a cover for said case, a stand for the article carried by the case and removably supporting said article, mechanism adapted to be actuated to cause said article to be housed by the case beneath said cover, mechanism adaptedto be actuated to cause the article to be accessible at location outside of said case, and means for causing said cover normally to be in closed position upon said case and to be removed from the case concurrently with removal of the article irom and deposit of said article into the case.

11. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil,,comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, a cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a stand for removably supporting the article upon said case, and mechanism for causing said stand to be actuated selectively to cause said article to be moved inwardly through said opening into said compartment and to be moved outwardly through said opening to position outside of said case, said mechanism including means for causing said cover to be removed from the opening concurrently with removal of the article from and deposit of the article within the case by way of said opening.

12. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, a cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a

stand for removably supporting the article upon said case, mechanism for causing said stand to be actuated to cause said article to be moved inwardly of said case through said opening into said compartment and to be moved outwardly through said opening to position outside of said case, and means for causing said cover to'be removed from the opening concurrently with passage of the article through said opening.

13. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, a cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a stand for removably supporting the article upon said case, mechanism for causing said stand to be actuated to cause said article to be moved inwardly of said case through said opening into said compartment, mechanism for causing the stand to be actuated to cause the article to be moved outwardly through said opening to position outside of said case, and means for causing said cover to be removed from the opening concurrently with passage of the article through said opening.

14. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, a cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a shaft rotatably mounted Within said compartment, a stand pivotally mounted upon said shaft for removably supporting the article, and mechanism for causing said stand to be actuated selectively to cause said article to be moved inwardly through said opening into said compartment and to be moved outwardly through said opening to position outside of said case, said mechanism including means for causing said cover to be removed from the opening concurrently with removal of the article from and deposit of said article within the case.

15. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, a cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a shaft rotatably mounted within said compartment, a stand pivotally mounted upon said shaft for removably supporting the article, mechanism for causing said stand to be actuated to cause said article to be moved inwardly of said case through said opening into said compartment and to be moved outwardly through said opening to position outside of said case, and means for causing said cover to be removed from the opening concurrently with passage of the article through said opening.

16. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, a cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a shaft rotatably mounted within said compar ment, a stand pivotally mounted upon said shaft for removably supporting the article, mechanism for causing said stand to be actuated to cause said article to be moved inwardly of said case through said opening into said compartment, mechanism for causing said stand to be actuated to cause the article to be moved outwardly through said opening to position outside of said case, and means for causing said cover to be removed from the opening concurrently with passage of the article through said opening.

17. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, a cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a shaft rotatably mounted upon said case and situated within said compartment, a stand pivotally mounted upon said shaft for removably supporting the article, and mechanism including a rack and gear for causing said stand to be actuated selectively to cause said article to be moved inwardly through said opening into said compartment and to be moved outwardly through said opening to position outside of said case, said mechanism including means for causing said cover to be removed from the opening concurrently with removal of the article from and deposit of said article within the case.

18. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, a cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a shaft rotatably mounted upon said case and situated within said compartment, a stand pivotally mounted upon said shaft for removably supporting the article, mechanism including a rack and gear for causing said stand to be actuated to cause said article to be moved inwardly of said case through said opening into said compartment and to be moved outwardly through said opening to position outside of said case, and means for causing said cover to be removed from the opening concurrently with passage of the article through said opening.

19. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, 3, cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a shaft rotatably mounted upon said case and situated within said compartment, a stand pivotally mounted upon said shaft for removably supporting the article, mechanism including a rack and gear for causing said stand to be actuated to cause said article to be moved inwardly of said case through said opening into said compartment,

I said opening;

20. The combination as specified in claim 17, wherein said mechanism includes a lost motion connection between said shaft and said stand.

21. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, a cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a stand for removably supporting the article upon said case, manually operable mechanism for causing said stand to be actuated to cause said article to be moved inwardly of said case through said opening into said compartment and to be moved outwardly through said opening to position outside of said case, and means operative in response to actuation of said mechanism for causing said cover to be removed from the opening concurrently with passage of the article through said opening.

22. A holder for an article such as a pen or pencil, comprising a case including a compartment for housing said article and having an opening to said compartment, a cover for said compartment normally closing said opening, a 

